"One peanut shell holds two beans, yellow coat, purple skin, flesh white as snow! Caring, gentle, knowing when you're cold and hot—a man can never kiss his own wives enough!" With his arms around both of his wives, Zhang Wanlong planted several kisses on each of them, then took Xiao Genzi along to head out into the fields.
Seeing that Xiao Genzi was bursting with boundless energy, Zhang Wanlong asked, "Didn't you go teach Shizi how to read yesterday? How do you still have so much strength today?"
Genzi gave an honest, foolish grin. "Teaching Shizi characters isn't tiring work."
Zhang Wanlong snorted. "You're still young. Once you reach my age, you'll know what tired means."
"With both sisters-in-law being so considerate, what could possibly wear you out?"
Zhang Wanlong nodded. "Those two wives of mine are truly considerate. Most of the time, I don't have to lift a finger!" As he spoke, Zhang Wanlong glanced back toward his own house.
***
Du Wenming knocked on the door several times. When no one answered, he pushed it open and walked right in.
Zhang Wanlong's first wife emerged from the inner rooms, eyeing Du Wenming. "Who are you? Why are you barging into someone's home?"
Du Wenming replied impassively, "I came looking for Zhang Wanlong to buy seeds."
"Our man isn't home. Have a seat and wait a while." The first wife invited Du Wenming into the hall, and the second wife brewed him a pot of tea. Du Wenming looked at the second wife. With a flick of his right wrist, his arm curved behind her, aiming to wrap around her waist.
His goal wasn't to take liberties. He wanted to subdue both women so he could search Zhang Wanlong's house for the seeds.
As long as Du Wenming could wrap his arm around her, the second wife wouldn't be able to move an inch. Once he led her into a dance, he could shake her to pieces within two or three steps. But the second wife crouched down to pull a box of tea pastries from beneath the table, dodging Du Wenming's arm by a hair's breadth.
Du Wenming paused in surprise, then reached out to grab her arm.
The second wife lowered her head, picked up a piece of pastry, and dodged him once again. Was she doing this intentionally or by accident?
If it was an accident, the coincidence was simply too absurd. If it was intentional, she was terrifyingly formidable.
Du Wenming was a cultivator above the clouds. If this woman had deliberately evaded him twice, her reaction time, speed, and footwork were by no means inferior to his. Refusing to believe it, Du Wenming reached toward her shoulder.
Holding the pastry, the second wife spun around, brought it to her nose, and took a sniff. "It's not fresh anymore. I'll get you something else to eat." She slipped past Du Wenming yet again and carried the pastry to the kitchen.
Clearly, raw physical moves alone wouldn't cut it; Du Wenming needed to use his techniques.
He followed the second wife into the kitchen, his feet sliding and twisting as he launched into his dance steps.
The first wife was currently scolding the second wife inside the kitchen: "Did he touch you just now?"
"N-no, I didn't let him..." the second wife defended herself, looking wronged.
"Just wait until our man finds out—let's see how he handles you!"
The first wife pinched the second wife's rear hard. Yelping in pain, the second wife clutched her behind and leapt straight up. With that single hop, Du Wenming's dance step was evaded yet again!
This could never be accidental!
The first wife turned to Du Wenming and snapped, "Did you just touch my sister?"
While Du Wenming was calculating how to respond, the second wife complained from behind him, "You shameless scoundrel! I'm a married woman, why are you trying to seduce me?"
*When did she get behind me?*
Startled, Du Wenming relied on his nimble footwork to spin around toward her.
The first wife swung a feather duster at the second wife. "Blaming him for seducing you—you're no good either!"
The second wife dodged aside, and the feather duster struck Du Wenming square on the body.
The strike came down hard, making Du Wenming grit his teeth in pain.
A feather duster wasn't particularly hard to avoid, but the issue was that Du Wenming hadn't planned on dodging it at all.
None of the two women's movements appeared directed at him, yet not only could they counter his moves, they could even strike back. What was worse, Du Wenming's key techniques had no effect on them.
The two women kept maneuvering around Du Wenming without showing the slightest inclination to dance. If Du Wenming couldn't lead them into dance, many of his methods were useless. When Li Banfeng fought Du Wenming, his cultivation was already above the clouds, yet even Li Banfeng hadn't been able to control himself and had begun dancing along with him.
Why weren't these two women dancing? Could it be they weren't human?
*Were they grown by Zhang Wanlong?* Shocked, Du Wenming continued dancing.
Even if these two women weren't living people, they definitely possessed sapience. As long as something had sapience—even if it was a magic treasure—Du Wenming had ways to force it to dance along. Yet neither woman danced. The first wife chased the second wife with a broom, while the second wife twisted her waist and kept dodging.
*Smack!*
Another broom blow cracked against Du Wenming. Du Wenming sprang upward, leapt out of Zhang Wanlong's courtyard, and slid along the ground at full speed, fleeing out of the village. If two people grown from the soil possessed such terrifying strength, just how powerful was Zhang Wanlong himself?
Out in the fields, Zhang Wanlong wiped away his sweat. "Brother, that was a close shave!"
Xiao Genzi paused, lifting his ladle and bucket. "A fight? Where was there a fight?"
"A tough customer broke into our house just now, but your two sisters-in-law chased him off."
Xiao Genzi let out a long breath. "If my sisters-in-law could run him off, how tough could he be?"
Zhang Wanlong shook his head with a sigh. "Brother, you don't know the half of it. If your two sisters-in-law couldn't take him, we would've had to release other things, and some things must never be seen by outsiders!"
***
Du Wenming returned to Yetang Teahouse in Green Water City and reported the situation to Mister Kongfang.
Mister Kongfang shook his head and took a sip of tea. "Sending you against Zhang Wanlong was asking too much after all. He is, in the end, an elite among Farming Cultivators."
Du Wenming said nothing.
Mister Kongfang continued, "The Outer States and Puluo Province are different, after all. You normally spend your time in the Outer States, so you probably haven't encountered figures like him before."
Du Wenming remained silent.
After a moment of thought, Mister Kongfang assigned Du Wenming a task: "There are several businesses around Yesong Bridge that haven't paid their debts in quite a while. Go collect those accounts."
Du Wenming uttered no words, and his expression showed nothing unusual, but every phrase from Mister Kongfang stabbed right into his heart.
*Debt collection?*
He was the second-in-command of Xuehuapu. Was this the kind of work he was supposed to be doing?
Sensing Du Wenming's dissatisfaction, Mister Kongfang even offered a specific explanation: "What's done in the Outer States is done. You need to put more effort into our affairs in Puluo Province."
As he spoke, Mister Kongfang continued sipping tea. The curtain hanging from his bamboo hat concealed his face, but even without seeing his expression, one could feel his offhand dismissiveness. Without his status in the Outer States, Du Wenming seemed to hold little value.
Seeing Mister Kongfang's attitude, Du Wenming asked bluntly, "Second Master, I truly do not understand why we must buy seeds from Zhang Wanlong."
Mister Kongfang blew across the surface of his tea. "The situation in Puluo Province is not like the Outer States. Some things I cannot easily explain to you."
"Please take your time and explain. I will listen carefully."
Mister Kongfang set down his teacup. "Because we need bait. I need to craft a decoy identical to myself, send it to Lu Family Bookhouse to draw Zhou Badou out, and use the opportunity to bring Yu Yaoming out myself."
"Then there's no need to ask Zhang Wanlong for seeds. I'll be the bait. I'll go to Lu Family Bookhouse and lure Zhou Badou out."
Mister Kongfang sighed. "Wenming, I don't mean to look down on you. I'm merely telling you the truth: with your current combat strength, Zhou Badou wouldn't take the bait. He wouldn't even spare you a glance."
Suppressing his fury, Du Wenming said, "Then I won't be the bait. You draw Zhou Badou out, and I'll go inside to bring Yu Yaoming away."
Mister Kongfang chuckled. "I truly am not looking down on you. Even if Zhou Badou isn't there, you couldn't walk into Lu Family Bookhouse and take Yu Yaoming."
"Why don't we try?" Du Wenming could no longer hold his temper in check.
It wasn't that he was being impulsive. If he kept enduring this, he wouldn't even remain Third Master for long; from now on, he would be relegated to odd jobs like debt collection.
Mister Kongfang waved a hand. "We cannot act on impulse. We'll find another way."
Du Wenming shook his head. "I am not acting on impulse. Second Master, I've followed you all these years with undivided loyalty. Grant me this one chance to achieve something grand in Puluo Province."
"Fine. You have ambition." Mister Kongfang lifted the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Du Wenming. Du Wenming raised the cup and drained it in a single gulp.
***
Zhang Wanlong lifted the teapot and refilled Li Banfeng's cup. "Seventh Master, coming to see me today isn't just for a casual chat, is it?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Brother Zhang, I do have some business. I heard you've stopped selling seeds, but I happen to need a batch right now."
Zhang Wanlong's first wife walked over. "Seventh Master, buy your seeds somewhere else. Our Old Zhang has never sold seeds!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhang Wanlong glared at his wife. She stuck out her tongue and turned to leave.
"Seventh Master, to be frank, if anyone else came asking, I certainly wouldn't sell. But you're an old patron. Just name your quantity."
Li Banfeng said, "Not many, just five hundred. One hundred each of cabbage, winter melon, corn, wheat, and green pepper."
"Done." Zhang Wanlong had his wife pack the seeds without asking a single question.
Li Banfeng, however, took the initiative to explain: "I won't be using these seeds myself. They're to be delivered to the foreigner Critic, for the matter concerning Desong Cliff."
Genzi shot Li Banfeng a glance, signaling that he shouldn't have brought that up.
Zhang Wanlong was taken aback as well. "Seventh Master, you really didn't need to tell me that. The seeds are already in your hands."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Business shouldn't be done that way. If you don't want the seeds handed over to Critic, I will return them to you right now. Furthermore, I guarantee that none of the seeds I currently have in stock will be given to him either."
Seeing Li Banfeng's sincerity, Zhang Wanlong spoke frankly as well: "Seventh Master, regarding that business at Desong Cliff, I truly fear getting dragged into the mess."
Li Banfeng produced a covenant deed. "I bought the seeds from you. If anyone pursues the matter, I will bear all responsibility."
"Straightforward!" Zhang Wanlong looked at Li Banfeng with respect. "I agree to this. But I also have a favor to ask."
"Please, speak."
"The boundaries of my village keep expanding, but the actual wilderness we've reclaimed is only three li. Many of our fields have pushed past the border, and those aberrations out there are constantly eyeing them, ruining quite a bit of my crops.
"Moreover, reclaimed newland receives heavenly light. Faint as that light may be, certain crops simply cannot do without it. I intend to open up a boundary of ten li, but the local spirit has not responded. I heard that you have a good relationship with the local spirit here, Seventh Master. Could you put in a word for me and arrange a suitable date so we can carry out the land reclamation?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "All right, leave it to me. Once the date is settled, I'll let you know immediately."
With the agreement reached, Li Banfeng had lunch at Zhang Wanlong's home. He originally intended to stroll around the village, but Luo Zhengnan called: Boss Lu had invited Li Banfeng to meet at his bookhouse and had even sent a formal invitation card.
*Boss Lu wants to see me?*
The matter with Chubby had yet to be resolved, and Li Banfeng had been planning to investigate Boss Lu. He hadn't expected Boss Lu to take the initiative.
"What does he want? What time is the meeting set for?"
"Boss Lu said it was just a casual sit-down and didn't mention any specifics. The time wasn't fixed either. He said he's only inviting you, and you can arrange it whenever suits you."
Li Seven thought for a moment and agreed. "Tell Boss Lu I'll see him at ten o'clock tonight."
***
At half past seven, Boss Lu closed his bookstore, set up his writing desk, picked up his brush, and continued working on the sequel to *Xiushangji*. After writing for two hours, he had barely managed a single page. Having read it over, Boss Lu tore the manuscript to pieces.
A volume of *Xiushangji* cost eight Huan Country dollars and contained thirty-six stories. Writing at this caliber, Boss Lu felt he would be letting down anyone who spent their hard-earned money on the book.
Seeing that it was nearly ten o'clock, Boss Lu brewed tea, warmed wine, and set out pastries and snacks. The closed sign remained hanging outside, but he unlocked and opened the bookstore door. Shortly after, Li Seven entered, and Boss Lu rose to greet him.
"Seventh Master, you're here!"
Li Banfeng smiled and nodded. "Boss Lu came in person to deliver an invitation. How could I not come?"
"Seventh Master, please have a seat. Would you prefer wine or tea?"
"I'll defer to the host."
"Then we'll have both." With tea in one hand and wine in the other, Boss Lu poured both. The two sat in the main hall of the bookstore, flanked by over a dozen bookshelves, eating and chatting. As the conversation turned to recent works by prominent authors, Boss Lu deliberately brought up *Yuxiangji*.
"Seventh Master, how do you think *Yuxiangji* compares to *Xiushangji*? Which is superior?"
Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. "*Yuxiangji* is a full-length novel, while *Xiushangji* is an anthology. They are entirely different forms of writing; how can they be compared directly?"
"Let's set aside form and speak only of storytelling. Which book tells a better tale?"
Li Banfeng took a sip of tea, followed by a cup of wine, and offered a thoughtful critique: "If judged by era, there were no similar works when *Xiushangji* was written. It pioneered an entire genre, and at the time, no one could match it."
Boss Lu shook his head. "Setting eras aside, regardless of which came first, let us consider them side by side."
"If forced to compare them side by side, later writers drew upon the methods and techniques of their predecessors, refining and innovating upon them. Naturally, what they produced reads somewhat better than earlier works."
Boss Lu drank a cup of wine, nodding repeatedly.
Melancholy as it sounded, Boss Lu acknowledged the truth: *Yuxiangji* was a better read than *Xiushangji*. Li Banfeng's explanation was also acceptable to Boss Lu—Zhang Xiuling merely enjoyed the advantage of coming later, not because her innate skill exceeded his own.
Boss Lu placed great stock in Li Banfeng's critique, but Li Banfeng was still waiting for Boss Lu to get to the main point.
Inviting him here today was certainly not just to discuss literature. Was he planning to bring up the matter of Chubby?
Boss Lu produced a stack of papers. "Seventh Master, please take a look."
Li Banfeng took the pages, assuming the real topic had arrived.
Yet when he flipped them open, it was the manuscript of the sequel to *Xiushangji*. Li Banfeng asked, "Who wrote this?"
Boss Lu smiled. "A friend of mine. He was quite famous in the literary world back then. Feeling inspired lately, he thought of writing a sequel to *Xiushangji*."
*Still discussing literature?*
*Could this friend he mentioned be the true subject of tonight's meeting?*
Li Banfeng read through the manuscript carefully and delivered his verdict: "A dog's tail grafted onto a sable coat—a shoddy continuation."
Boss Lu shuddered, nearly dropping his wine cup. "Seventh Master, why do you say that?"
"Please tell this friend of yours to stop writing books. *Xiushangji* is a masterpiece; it has no room for such an incongruous sequel. Consider the original tales in *Xiushangji*: the narrative arcs were bizarre and full of twists, the erotic scenes captivating layer by layer. Where were all these convoluted detours?
"Look at the first story in this sequel. The male and female leads can't even communicate clearly. A simple matter generates layer upon layer of misunderstandings. To force such cliché tropes onto *Xiushangji*—isn't the author overestimating himself?"
Boss Lu pursed his lips and offered a defense: "Don't several celebrated authors nowadays, like Zhang Xiuling and Shen Rongqing, write this way? There are stories like this in *Yuxiangji* as well. This style captures emotional twists and payoffs much more clearly..."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "That is precisely why your friend shouldn't write *Xiushangji*. The master who wrote *Xiushangji* founded an entire school; do you think he cared about how other people wrote? Would he imitate someone else's style? Would he apply novel-length formulas to short stories?
"With only this meager skill, your friend actually wants to write a sequel to *Xiushangji* and latch onto a master of an era? Is calling him overconfident doing him an injustice?"
*Crack!*
The wine flagon in Boss Lu's hand shattered.
"What happened?" Li Banfeng blinked in surprise.
Boss Lu tossed the broken pieces aside, fetched a new flagon, and after cleaning up the mess, began rubbing his face vigorously.
His mouth had been twisted askew by sheer rage, and he had to rub it for a long while before setting it straight.
"Seventh Master speaks the truth—that man truly overestimates himself!" Boss Lu brought over brush and paper. "Seventh Master, please give me detailed guidance on what was written improperly, and I shall convey it faithfully to my friend."
Since Boss Lu insisted on discussing literature, Li Banfeng kept him company. He offered earnest feedback while Boss Lu diligently took notes.
Before long, midnight arrived. Wearing his bamboo hat, Mister Kongfang reached the bookstore door and pushed it open.
*Ding—*
Li Banfeng heard the door chime and glanced back, but his sight was blocked by the bookshelves.
Boss Lu shook his head. "Pay no mind. Someone probably didn't see the closed sign. I'll send an assistant to shoo him away."
Mister Kongfang entered the bookstore. He saw neither Li Banfeng nor the table laden with tea and wine; he saw only Boss Lu standing on a ladder, organizing bookshelves alone.
Boss Lu looked down at Mister Kongfang. "We're closed. If you want to buy books, come back early tomorrow."
Mister Kongfang gave a soft laugh. "Old Zhou, I've come in person. Is it really fitting for you to say you're closed now?"
"We didn't just close; we closed a long time ago." Boss Lu continued tidying the shelves with total solemnity.
***
Li Banfeng had sensed someone enter the bookstore, but in the blink of an eye, the presence vanished.
Boss Lu sat across from him, still reviewing his notes. "Seventh Master, what did you just say should be changed in Volume Two, Chapter Six?"
Just as Li Banfeng was about to turn his thoughts back to *Xiushangji*, he heard faint sounds from upstairs.
*Creak, creak, creak...*
Li Banfeng raised his head slightly. Boss Lu said, "Over the past few days, the shop has had some wood-boring bugs gnawing on the timber at night. Seventh Master, let's continue with Chapter Six."
Li Banfeng felt that was no sound of wood-boring bugs.
***
The window to the second-floor storeroom swung open. Du Wenming slid across the sill into the outer room and swiftly pushed open the inner door. Scanning the room, he saw no sign of Yu Yaoming. Instead, he saw Boss Lu pull back the bed curtains, sitting on the bed. "Looking for me?"
***
Downstairs, Mister Kongfang watched Boss Lu tidy the shelves. He was in no rush to attack; his goal was merely to buy time for Du Wenming.
"Old Zhou, we haven't seen each other in so many years. Is this how you receive me?"
Boss Lu turned his head and looked at Mister Kongfang. "Do we know each other?"
"How can you say we don't? Back then, we..."
"We are truly closed. If you have business, let's talk tomorrow."
Just as Boss Lu moved to see his guest out, fighting broke out upstairs.
Du Wenming had made his move.
Mister Kongfang was surprised. According to Du Wenming, Yu Yaoming's cultivation wasn't high; there should have been no need for Du Wenming to cause such a commotion.
*Did something go wrong upstairs?*
Mister Kongfang pointed upward. "A burglar? Shall I go take a look for you?"
Boss Lu stepped down from the ladder and shook his head. "The second floor is my shop's storeroom. Unauthorized persons are barred."
"I am no unauthorized person; I am your friend." Mister Kongfang shifted his weight onto his toes, looking ready to head upstairs.
Boss Lu appeared directly at the doorway of the second-floor storeroom, holding an old book. "I truly cannot recall having a friend like you."
Mister Kongfang waved his sleeve, sending two copper coins shooting toward Boss Lu.
These copper coins were impossible to parry. Even if Boss Lu used written words to conjure a three-foot-thick wall, the coins would punch right through it.
Yet if Boss Lu chose to dodge, he would yield the stairs.
Boss Lu did not dodge. He simply shook the old book in his hand.
The dust clinging to the pages dispersed into the air, coalescing into the character for "Door."
The two copper coins flew straight into the "Door" and vanished without a trace.
Two copper coins flew left and right toward the second floor, aimed at battering down the walls. The coins flew with immense speed; Mister Kongfang was certain Boss Lu could block at most one.
Boss Lu stood his ground and traced the character for "Collect" in the air with his finger. Both copper coins dropped directly into his hand.
Mister Kongfang nodded. "After all these years without a match, your skill is no worse than back then. Unfortunately, I am no longer who I was."
With that, Mister Kongfang tore three tassels from his hat, tucking one into each gap between his fingers from index to pinky.
The tassels elongated like three golden serpents, lunging straight for Boss Lu's face. The copper coins tied to them rattled, their piercing, chaotic clatter disrupting Boss Lu's focus.
There was no time to write new characters. Boss Lu flipped open the book, and characters flew from the pages, clashing furiously against the three tassels.
The combat power of the tassels clearly outmatched the characters. A whole page of writing was quickly battered into scattered fragments across the floor, and even the book in Boss Lu's hands was torn to shreds.
"Your book is ruined. What else do you have to fight me with?" Mister Kongfang vaulted onto the second floor.
Boss Lu waved a hand, and two jars of paste flew up from the first floor. One went to reassemble the book, while the other glued itself to the soles of Mister Kongfang's shoes.
*Gluing my shoes?*
Mister Kongfang nearly laughed out loud. "Old Zhou, your martial moves are decent, but your brain is utterly shot! Has selling books day in and day out turned you into an idiot?"
He kicked his shoes off, floating suspended in midair. With a twitch of his fingertips, the coins on the three tassels shot outward, riddling Boss Lu's body with holes.
*He didn't dodge?*
Mister Kongfang froze. Blood was leaking from Boss Lu's wounds.
It wasn't red; it was black.
Mister Kongfang murmured, "You're not Zhou Badou?"
Boss Lu swayed. "I didn't know you, but consider us acquainted now."
With those words, "Boss Lu's" body flattened out. His limbs twisted and stretched, his perforated torso collapsing into the character for "Zhou," which then melted into a pool of ink upon the floor.
*A single character written by Zhou Badou?*
*Just one character?*
Mister Kongfang's mind spun; he found the reality hard to accept.
He kept muttering, "We shared equal fame for so many years. Our methods should be evenly matched... they should be evenly matched..."
This was plainly anything but even. Mister Kongfang didn't dwell on it any longer and quickly shoved open the storeroom door.
The storeroom had an outer and inner chamber. Kongfang hurried through the outer room and pushed open the inner door, only to find Du Wenming covered in ink, immobilized on the floor.
He had intended to let Du Wenming suffer a setback to tame his arrogance and gain experience, but he had never imagined Du Wenming would be captured alive by the enemy. Mister Kongfang rushed into the inner room to rescue him, but the moment he crossed the threshold, the surroundings shifted.
The storeroom vanished. Mister Kongfang stood on an open street.
Beside a frozen lake, a man in a black Zhongshan suit and a white scarf stood amid gently falling snowflakes, reciting poetry:
"The beautiful blossom blooms even now,
No chilling wind can strip life of its splendor,
Nor blow away my love for you."
A woman looked up at him tenderly, tears welling in her eyes. Only after the man finished reciting did the first tear slide down her cheek.
Mister Kongfang knew where he was.
He had been sent to Moxiang Shop.
"I shared equal fame with him. Our methods should be evenly matched," he continued repeating under his breath.
***
Inside Lu Family Bookhouse, Boss Lu had been discussing details of the sequel with Li Banfeng the entire time, never once stepping away. They talked until dawn. Having gained considerable inspiration, Boss Lu prepared to close the shop for the day to focus entirely on writing.
"Seventh Master, I will remember this kindness. If you ever have need of me in the future, simply give the word." Boss Lu offered a deep bow.
Li Banfeng stood to return the courtesy. He looked toward the entrance, then glanced upstairs.
He was certain someone had entered through the front door last night, yet had no idea where the person had gone. He had sensed someone enter the storeroom last night, yet now could detect nothing.
Li Banfeng left the bookhouse, returned to Xiaoyaowu, and rested for the day.
Boss Lu wrote until late into the night. Well pleased with his new work, he packed away the manuscript, pushed open the bookhouse door, and walked out.
Outside lay Kudaikan. Boss Lu headed straight for Piaoxiang Courtyard.
On the second floor of Piaoxiang Courtyard, Yu Yaoming had an arm around a woman on either side, revelling in wine and courtesans.
Boss Lu dismissed all the women and said to Yu Yaoming, "Time to go back. I've found you a test subject."
Chapter 617